- CMS to publish network lists for Medicare Advantage plans.
- Peru’s new President taps Hernando de Soto to be prime minister.
- American foods banned in many European countries: Ritz Crackers, Twinkies, Coffee-Mate, Froot Loops, and Gatorade.
- CMS has removed nearly 1.5 million ineligible individuals from (ACA) marketplace subsidies, saving approximately $10 billion annually through its fraud crackdown efforts.
- GAO: In FY 2024, 16 federal agencies reported a total estimate of about $162 billion in improper payments across 68 programs.
Category: Cost of Healthcare
Saturday Links – 21 February 2026
- CBO on the Democrat’s IRA bill: “Part D spending per beneficiary in 2035 is now projected to be more than $4,000, up from less than $3,000 in the January 2025 baseline.”
- Another CBO report: What cuts in Medicaid?
- Pressure has real effects on an athlete’s body.
- The case for statins.
- What an increasing number of patients want from their therapists: extra time on their tests of permission to keep a pet. (WSJ)
NYT: Should Drugmakers be Allowed to Advertise Directly to Consumers?
Big Pharma spent roughly $3.3 billion in 2024 to advertise just 10 drugs. Whenever I see a drug advertisement, I sometimes play a little game. I Google the price to see how expensive it is. Sometimes the prices boggle the mind.